How to get more storage on PS5

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The PS5 has 825GB of built-in storage, but considering the sheer size of system files and modern games, it could fill up very quickly. The good news is that, depending on what games you want to play each week, you don't have to be stuck forever uninstalling and reinstalling games. There are a couple of ways to get more storage on your PS5, but which method you choose will depend on how confident you are in opening your PS5 and what kinds of games you want to save. In this guide, we'll look at how to expand the internal storage of your PS5 and how to quickly and easily expand storage for specific games using an external hard drive.

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Ranking the coolest PS5 games

The coolest game on PlayStation 5 features stunning visuals and is a must-play for players who love games with amazing graphics.

Get more PS5 storage with internal NVMe SSD

Adding an internal NVMe SSD gives you more of the same storage that comes with the PS5. That means you can play PS5 games directly. Before installing a drive, you must make sure you have a compatible drive.

Which M.2 NVMe SSDs are compatible with PS5?

You cannot purchase an M.2 NVMe SSD. You must meet the following criteria:

  • PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe (Key M)

  • 250GB~8TB capacity

  • Read speed: 5,500 MB/s or faster (recommended)

  • Form factors: 2230, 2252, 2260, 2280, 22110

  • Heatsink: Required

If this all sounds a little confusing, you can make things easier by finding a PS5 certified drive. A list of these is included below. Alternatively, you can check out our list of the best M.2 SSDs for PS5.

Install NVMe SSD on PS5

ps5 storage expansion
ps5 storage expansion

To install an NVMe SSD in your PS5, you'll first need to make sure you have a #1 Phillips or Phillips screwdriver, a flashlight, or a very well-lit room. Next, make sure your PS5 is completely turned off and unplugged. Finally, ground yourself by touching a metal grounding object to remove static electricity from your body. Otherwise, your M.2 SSD drive or PS5 may be damaged or broken.

  1. Remove the side cover of the console that contains the disk drive, or if you have a console with model number CFI-2000/7000, remove the triangle symbol. This cover is on the same side as the disk drive above it when the console is standing up.

    1. Removing the cover can be difficult. With the bottom of the console facing up and the front facing you, gently lift the cover away from the console to release the internal clips. Don't forget to remove the feet if they are attached.

  2. Next to the fan is a rectangular cover with a screw on the top. Remove the screw and lift the cover.

  3. Remove the screw inside the expansion slot and move the spacer into the groove corresponding to the M.2 SSD size. You should see the numbers 30, 42, 60, 80, and 110 next to each groove/hole.

  4. Insert the M.2 NVMe SSD into the slot, holding it in a diagonal position with the gold contacts facing the port. When fully inserted into the port, you will notice that it is still positioned at an angle.

  5. Press down on the other end of the NVMe SSD and secure it with the second screw you removed that previously secured the spacer.

  6. Reattach the expansion slot cover and secure it in place with the screw.

  7. Reattach the side cover and reconnect the power and HDMI cables to the console.

  8. Turn on your PS5 and complete the onscreen formatting guide to get your new PS5 storage up and running.

Honestly, I found the hardest part of the process to be actually removing the PS5's side cover. The side covers on my launch edition console are quite stubborn and require you to grab them at the back corners and pull them up and to the right. You can then slide off the cover of your PS5 while holding the system itself with one hand and holding it in place. The rest of the process is pretty straightforward, so kudos to Sony for making it so user-friendly.

Expand PS5 storage with an external USB hard drive

If you want to expand your PS5's storage for the PS4 games you're still playing on the system, you can connect an external USB hard drive. This external hard drive can also be used to store PS5 games, but you won't be able to play them directly. Instead, you can move PS5 games you no longer play to an external drive and then transfer them back when you want to play them again.

seagate game drive ps5

This way you don't have to re-download games, which can have large install sizes and take a long time to download over slow Internet connections.

Below we have included a list of the best PS5 external storage drives.

Once you have a compatible drive, plug it into one of the PS5's USB ports and format the drive by selecting the 'Format as extended storage' option that appears on the screen, then wait for this to complete.

You can then freely move games from your internal storage to your external drive whenever you need.

PlayStation 5 tag page cover art-1

brand

sony

original release date

November 12, 2020

Original MSRP (USD)

$499, €499, £449, ¥49,980 (standard) // $399, €399, £359, ¥39,980 (digital),

operating system

Orbis OS

processor

Custom 8-core AMD Zen 2

solve

720p – 8K


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